The Scent of a Dream
by Vamos Sid
Summary: A alternate world devoid of any humans where some pokemon live in a civilized manner. A journey leading to unravelling of a mysterious past and friendships formed along the way. Loosely based on local folklore.
1. Prologue

_**The Silent Night**_

The moon looked scary that night. A big silvery disc with an orange hue floating in a vast glob of darkness, casting its eerie glow over the creatures below. She had never liked the moon. While her mother told her stories of its condescending omniscience and soothing radiance, she always felt at unease when walking under its light. But she knew it was not the time to be reminiscing about old fantasies. She had to run. Run as fast as her legs could take her.

Tearing across the long grass, she dashed; their long and sharp edges cut into her delicate skin, boring inside her priestess clothes encompassing of a white robe with long sleeves, tied around the belly with a floral red belt. Blood flowed openly, although she dared not stop and seal it with a healing spell. She decided she could rest all she wanted when she was at a comfortable distance from her pursuers. Except, realization of the fact that her body would shortly succumb to the unbearable pain of the wounds and the numbness in her feeble legs made her feel catatonic.

Before long, the vast grassland opened into a small path with huge trees on either side that led into a shadowy ominous forest. She sensed her destination was just beyond the forest. She thought if she moved through the trees instead of following the path then might be that she could lose her chasers. However there was a dim awareness in her heart that such a method will not confuse the hounds of hell that were chasing her, known for their superior smelling ability. Nonetheless, even if it was a slight chance of success, she had to seize it.

Straying from her previous path, she began to progress through the tall trees keeping a small distance from the trail. The whole place was black, the trees towering hundreds of feet overhead merged into a barrier of green, preventing any light to pass through. It was hard to see, but her kind was endowed with two small red scales growing out of their head, which helped them enhance their psychic abilities. Owing to these, she had extremely good sensory perceptions which enabled her to comprehend the positon of the trees, allowing her to dart quickly among them.

Soon she came upon a dense thicket of shrubs growing out of the mushy surface; a nice spot she presumed well enough for hiding her for a while. Sitting down, she gazed over her form, looking for damage. There were cuts all over, blood seeped from wounds on her fragile arms and shoulders. Her legs were at a limit too, fatigue from all the running had made them blue and swollen. But then again her kind was not made for physical exertion; they were creatures of intellect and spirituality rather than the bulk.

After pondering for a minute, she decided that she should try and heal her injuries a little. If she lost more blood then she might lose consciousness and even die. Her energy was very low, so a way of stopping the blood should be enough for her. As to the numbness in her limbs she wondered if she could manage to treat it. There was a risk of getting caught when using such a spell, but she knew she had to take that risk.

Positioning herself inside a small closure in the thicket, she sat on the ground with her legs crossed; she brought both her hands together. Closing her eyes and concentrating her mind on the tip of the fingers, she silently started incanting an ancient spell. A faint pinkish glow started to form around her slight frame, which increased in luminosity slowly and slowly. In a little while after, the pinkish glow was its maximum intensity, chasing away the gloom around her and make her small figure shine like a candle. Then she pulled her palms away from each other a little and the pink aura started to move from her body and started accumulating inside the small gap in her hands, forming a small ball of light.

Suddenly she opened her eyes, which had lost their original whitish colour and were now encased in a pink brilliance. With a jerk motion she then opened her arms,

"Heal Pulse"

The orb of light broke apart, scattering into millions of tiny particles and releasing waves of light pink energy which expanded outward. A warm soothing feeling surge across her physique, her wounds began to close and her legs felt better. Almost immediately the pink light faded as it was conceived, plunging the whole area into darkness like before.

She stood up, more relaxed then, to continue her journey forward. She got out of the thicket, stretched herself a little and prepared to sprint ahead. All of a sudden she noticed hundreds of stars above her head. She realized that they were not there earlier, as the trees did not allow light to seep through. However what she observed afterwards rooted her to the spot in fear with a cold chill racing down her spine. The stars were gradually getting larger and larger, evolving into balls of fire equipped to engulf everything in its path in flames of hell. Mustering all courage, she dashed away into the direction opposite to her current location, but in her heart she knew it was perhaps too late. With a noise of a roaring tsunami, shaking the ground underneath, the fireballs hit the forest surface, exploding on contact and lifting her body with the shockwave and flinging it into a nearby rock like a ragged doll. Some time had passed before she could recover from the concussion, her mind and body still dizzy from the after effects of the explosion. The whole area was now illuminated with a fiery glow, the shadows receding away, flames trying to eat up the vegetation and the unsuspecting fauna under it. She understood she had to move into the dark quickly. Somehow she managed to stand up with a groan and started rushing forward at break neck speed. She did not have the courage to look back; she could clearly hear the blood curdling growls of her pursuers. Now that her legs were healed, she could move at a faster rate, zigzagging amongst the trees. Suddenly, without warning, a tree in front her was hit by a huge fireball and fell down making a sound like the battle cries of soldiers heard in war. She swiftly prevented herself from darting into the blaze that ensued, though it had blocked her only way of escape. Soon she felt like she was surrounded by hundreds of beasts; she could perceive the faint steps made by their feet as they trotted towards her. In no time, terrifying figures came into view, their eyes burning with fires of inferno and fumes discharged from their nostrils and mouth as they howled their war cries, "Houndoom". Most of their horrifying visage could not be seen, for they were the terrors of the night, their bodies painted by the maker in black shades of despair.

Steadily, the beast started moving towards her, with their flaming jaws eager to bury in her flesh. She understood that running away was futile, she was barricaded from all sides, and they could kill her any second they wanted. Almost fainting, she sank down on the cold ground, losing all hope and ready to accept her incoming death.

Unexpectedly, an old and ancient spell taught by her mother when she was still a child rushed across her brain. It was something that could not be done unless one had a pure and distinct mind set; she had given up when she tried it for a few futile times. If only she could perform it then, she might be able to flee but owing to the situation she was in, she asked herself if it was possible. Nevertheless, she had to try, dodge reality and ascend to live another day. The hounds were getting closer and closer as she thought, began circling her and from time to time howling a cry of victory. Once again she stood up and closed her eyes, gathered whatever energy she felt left in her and started chanting the ancient spell. This time she placed her right hand in front of her head and left hand near her abdomen, with palms facing outside and fingers stretched on both hands. A white halo began to form around her body, spiralling with a humming noise. The hunters realized that something was wrong and started prancing towards her. All of sudden, she opened her eyes and speedily traced a circle with her hands moving them in clockwise direction, bringing them near her chest and interlocking the fingers,

"Teleport"

The halo exploded, a burst of white luminescence flooded the area, blinding her opponents. When the light was gone, she found herself on top of a small hillock overlooking the forest she was in. With no power left in her body, she fell down face up. The moon still glowed ominously, yet it did not scare her anymore. She had escaped a certain death, a feeling of satisfaction preceded over the fear. With a weak smile on her wry lips, she fell into a dreamless stupor.


	2. Chapter I : Part I

_**The Dreamer**_

_**Part I**_

"Hey look Oz, I found some pretty ones here", Rai shouted at his friend who was below on the bottom of the hill.

"Wait. Let me check if they are edible. Don't want to sell something like you picked up last time", Oz replied sarcastically.

"Eh, it was not that bad as you say man. They all just got a little hysterical after eating the mushrooms, that's all. The villagers should probably thank me for making them laugh," Rai responded with an annoyed looking face.

"Well too good those were not poisonous or the one hysterical now would be you".

He slowly started climbing the hill where his friend was perched, a big rock with cracks all over it. The two friends were collecting mushrooms and herbs to sell in the village market. Most of the time, they gathered and sold firewood and fruits found in the jungle surrounding their village, but once or twice a week they made their way to that rocky hill area for amassing more precious materials. The road to that region was perilous, a long way from the village, however they understood that with more toil would come greater rewards.

"Whatever buddy, it's not like they can kill me or anything. I am great at escaping as you know", Rai chuckled and made a swish with his finger in the air.

"Yeah yeah, you are great. No show me the place where you saw the mushrooms", Oz who was already at his friend's location asked.

Pointing his finger at a big crack on the rock he was sitting on, Rai answered, "Over here."

Oz walked up to the crack where his friend was pointing and peered. Rai was not wrong. In the lower corner of the crack, mushrooms were growing in abundance and they were not of the poisonous kind. Oz thought that if they could collect and sell those, it would be a huge profit. He beckoned Rai to come down and help him with the gathering.

Rai jumped down with a big smile and "See I told you" look and together they began picking up the mushrooms from the crevice and stockpiling them in their baskets which lay at their feet.

Oz who was the burly one, carried a big sturdy wooden stick on his back, like a sword, held by a string through his neck and under his arms. He wore simple village clothes, tattered shirts, pants and shoes made of animal skin. Colourless and patched at various points, they showcased his poverty clearly to the onlooker. But the only thing uncanny about his attire was a mask shaped like a skull which he wore over his face, a permanent piece of his body and a dark memento of his horrifying past. He never told anyone the reason behind it, and nobody wanted to delve further into such a creepy matter.

While Oz was gloomy and knowledgeable, Rai was quirky and humorous. He was small framed and swift on his feet. A tiny green leaf grew out his head, a symbol of his tribe's coherence with nature. For ages they have lived as one with the environment, which in turn have bestowed them with miraculous gifts. His attire was a bit decent in respect to Oz, but to such amounts which could be deemed negligible.

Both Rai and Oz were orphans, although Rai lived with his grandmother. Oz resided in a small thatched hut atop a hill near the village, his family home. They were close since childhood, two souls brought together by necessity and understanding.

Poking with his stick where their hands could not reach, soon all the mushrooms were gathered and they attached the baskets to their backs and started moving. It was a long walk to the village; nonetheless they were happy as it was a good haul, worth hiking all that way to pick stuff.

The path through the rocky area soon ended in a small mountain stream. The village was a little distance away from the stream thus if they followed it they could reach their destination with ease. So they began marching besides it, talking about their daily lives and things they needed to do the next day. The clear translucent waters of the spring made a rhythmic sound as it flowed; the cool breeze blowing over carried a scent of summer along with it. They could see many wild beasts flocking near the stream to quench their thirst and rest their fatigued bodies for a little while near the cool water surface.

All of a sudden, Rai screamed, nudging his friend with his elbow, "Look man, look at that fish over there. I think it's a Shiny Goldeen. If we could catch it we might be able to sell it for a lot to the village chief. This should be easy for us."

Oz looked at where Rai was directing, and it was true. Cruising over the strong waves of the stream, there was an enormous fish, flouncing its golden body like a queen and sailing over the waters majestically, occasionally shaking its long horn with dignity. He knew they didn't have much time to lose if they wanted to ensnare such a beautiful yet fast creature.

Setting his basket on the ground, he speedily drew his stick, holding it out like a sword in one hand.

"Can you trap it?" he asked his friend who like him had placed his basket on the ground and was beaming with anticipation.

"Surely", Rai replied, "Look at what I can do."

Straightening his body, Rai then observed the Goldeen carefully as if locking on to its location and closed his eyes to concentrate. Then he crossed his arms. The small leaf on his head started to flicker violently as his body was slowly covered in a golden light. As the light grew brighter, he suddenly opened his arms wide. Three rings of rainbow coloured energy surrounded him, circling at high speeds making a whooshing sound as if the air was being cut. The rings soon move outwards and positioned themselves near his chest creating a big ball of spiralling energy. Then he quickly opened his eyes and proceeded to fire the ball of light towards the unsuspecting fish,

"Extrasensory"

When the creature was stuck, it shivered as if hit by lightning. The rings began to encircle it forming a cage above the water. Dazed by the attack, the Goldeen began to frolic madly and use its horn to break free to no avail.

Seeing his part done, Rai looked at Oz signalling him to start his own. Without wasting any more time, Oz retracted his right foot behind his left and held out his stick out with his right hand. Next he pulled back the hand holding the stick as far as he could and after writing an ancient symbol in the air with his left hand, threw it towards the caged Goldeen,

"Boomerang Cutter"

It flew with supersonic speed, slicing the surrounding winds in a silvery sweep and hit the cage of light at the centre. The cage burst, the rings exploded out scattering colours everywhere and creating golden ripples in the water surface. The fish however was glued to the stick, it made a perfect arc as it glided back towards Oz. He caught it using his right hand and the beast with his left. It was not completely dead, its gills flaring a little as it gasped for the last bits of air. Happy with his work, he laid the prize on the ground so his friend could also observe it.

"See brother, it was easy as I said. Did you see my magnificent trick?" Rai spoke holding up his hand in a boosting pose.

Before Oz could reply to his companion's remark, the river started to rise if someone had set a huge explosion underneath. A whizzing sound could be hard as the water seemed to part and a black silhouette shot out of it like an arrow and landed on the bank with a boom creating tremors, spewing dust everywhere. When the dust cleared, its full body came into view, to the horror of the two friends. A form twice the height of Oz and bulkier in proportion, its massive body coloured in orange with black stripes on its back, and puffed white caudal and pectoral fins with black spots. It had a huge horn on its forehead like the creature they had caught, it made a shrieking noise as the horn spun like a drill. Nasty angry eyes glared at them, vengeance written all over them.

Out of the blue, without any warning, the beast jumped from its position and darted towards Rai. He jumped in a nick of time, except the fish continued on its trajectory, hitting an enormous boulder behind him and blasting it to bits. Not stopping a little bit, it continued its onslaught, afterward dashing towards Oz like a ball fired from a mortar, spewing waves of destruction. He reacted swiftly to it and was saved by a hair's breadth.

"I knew this might happen. Goldeens always travel in numbers with a Seaking as their leader", Oz cried to his friend as he continued dodging the fish.

"Ughh, now is not the time to impart knowledge Oz. Do something or we will definitely meet our maker today", Rai bellowed.

For a moment, Oz thought. His friend was right. If they did not act fast, the beast will surely kill them. It was using "Horn Drill" a skill that had huge power. The only reason they were able to avoid its assaults was because it was an attack fuelled by rage making them less accurate. They would die instantly though if one of those hit them.

Setting his mind, he yelled, "Rai, can you draw his attention for some time? I may be able to get us out of this situation, I think."

"I can try, but please hurry."

Saying this, Rai opened both his hands wide. The leaf on his head started fluttering again as he focused. Strong winds began to blow around his body in a spiral motion, carrying with it twigs and leaves scattered nearby. Next he brought his hands together in front his chest in a wide arc,

"Leaf Storm"

The foliage around his body was propelled towards the Seaking, like a tornado it coiled as it progressed, blowing dusts and rocks everywhere and making visibility poor. The instant it clashed with its target, the creature was hurled over and stopping its rampage. That did not seem to stop it though, but on the contrary it became more enraged and shot towards Rai with blinding velocity. Another twister gathered round Rai body, as the previous one had disappeared and he continued hurling them one after another at the fish. Nevertheless, the beast continued its riot as it charged at Rai, making screeching noises.

"Come on Oz, this will not hold him long", Rai shrieked as he laboured to keep the beast in check, breathless and with a panic-stricken face.

Oz firmly planted his feet on the ground as he looked at the fish. Its motions were made sluggish by the continuous bombardment from his friend making its movement more predictable. Closing his eyes a bit, he clasped his stick with both hands at one end. A small breeze blew near his body upsetting the dust as his mind reached a state of tranquillity. Suddenly he opened his eyes and quickly dashed towards the beast with lightning speed. A blue aura emitted from his body, encasing his figure like a second skin. Next he jumped, brought his stick over his head and with the agility of a swordsman stuck the fish's head as he came down, whispering,

"Bone Slash"

The creature's body was cut in half with a blue streak and it fell down, dyeing the ground red with its blood. With a jerk, Oz cleared the blood on his stick and equipped it on his back again. He sat down on a nearby rock, sweating profusely as such a strike took massive amount energy to perform and he was tired from that. A silent prayer escaped his lips, as he looked sadly at the beast's frame that had only attacked them seeking revenge for its partner. Two magnificent creatures killed, he felt like a criminal.


End file.
